The pro-government media in Turkey is celebrating the US Justice Department’s decision to drop bribery charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, portraying the move as proof that allegations of illegal dealings between Adams and Turkish officials were part of an anti-Turkey smear campaign.
The decision came in a memo from acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove — a former lawyer of President Donald Trump — that ordered Manhattan prosecutors to dismiss the case, citing concerns that the prosecution had interfered with Adams’s ability to focus on immigration and crime.
The move followed Adams’s recent rapprochement with Trump, leading critics to accuse the Trump administration of politically motivated interference in the US legal system.
Adams, who had pleaded not guilty to bribery and fraud charges in September, was accused of receiving luxury trips, expensive meals and illegal campaign donations from Turkish business figures and at least one Turkish official in exchange for political favors. One of the allegations included pressuring New York’s fire department to approve Turkey’s new high-rise consulate general in Manhattan before a visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan despite safety concerns.
However, CNN Türk and other pro-Erdoğan outlets framed the dropped case as a victory for Turkey, saying US prosecutors had unfairly targeted Turkish institutions such as Turkish Airlines and the Turkish Consulate General.
“A major slander campaign has collapsed,” a CNN Türk anchor said on Tuesday, accusing so-called “enemies of Turkey” of attempting to tarnish the country’s reputation.
The New York Post had previously published a cover story headlined “The Grand Theft Ottoman,” detailing how Turkish interests allegedly funneled money into Adams’ campaign. Turkish media, in response, dismissed the allegations as a conspiracy orchestrated by followers of the late Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen, whom Ankara blames for a 2016 coup attempt.
The Trump administration’s intervention in the case has sparked backlash in the US, with the New York Civil Liberties Union calling it “another example of the Trump administration hijacking the Justice Department for its own ends.” Legal analysts also raised concerns about political favoritism, noting that the charges were dismissed before the case could go to trial.
Adams’ legal team welcomed the decision, with his attorney, Alex Spiro, saying, “As I said from the outset, the mayor is innocent — and he would prevail. Today he has.”
The scandal, however, has cast a shadow over Adams’ political future as he seeks re-election in November. While his legal troubles may be over, his late embrace of Trump has drawn sharp criticism from New York’s Democratic establishment, with some accusing him of “betraying” the city’s immigrant communities.